44S HORTICULTURAL TOUR. 



gated to some extent here; and in a few of the nursery^ 

 gardens, rows of pear trees also occur. We may here men- 

 tion, that the principal nurseries for pear and apple trees are 

 at Orleans, and in Normandy, and the Parisian nurserymen 

 generally commission their apple and pear stocks from these 

 districts. At Vitry all the plants are young; none exceed- 

 ing two or three years from the grafting or budding* No 

 tallies are used for marking the kinds; the Vitry nursery- 

 men alleging, that practice enables them sufficiently to re- 

 cognize these, merely by the leaves and bark. In point of 

 fact, they cultivate only a few kinds. Their list of peach- 

 es comprizes scarcely any others than the Early purple, the 

 large and the small Mignonne, the lied Madeleine, Gal- 

 lande, Teton de Venus, large Violet, Bourdine, and the 

 Admirable. This last is much in request: it is frequently 

 called the Belle de Vitry, and is regarded by some as ha- 

 ving originated here. The soil at Vitry is, in general, a 

 strong rich loam. Neatness is little attended to, most of 

 the gardens abounding in weeds ; but the general aspect of 

 the place is pleasing, and some handsome villa-gardens in 

 the neighbourhood are kept in a superior style. 



In the evening we received, by post, under the frank of 

 Monsieur, Frere du Roi, a communication from the Compte 

 (TEscars, inclosing a letter from the Compte de Pradel, of 

 the ministerc de la Maison du Roy, dated 23d September, 

 intimating, that he had given the necessary orders that the 

 Society's deputies " soicnt admis a visiter les jardinsdepen- 

 dans de la Couronne, et y trouvent toutcs les facilites con- 

 vcnablcs pour remplir Pobjet de leur mission." The Count 

 indly sent us a letter of introduction, of an earlier 

 date, to M. Faujas de St Fond, warmly recommending us 

 to his notice, and requesting him to engage M. Thouin and 

 id facilitating our researches. The delay in our re- 



